TORONTO – A former British soldier claims Prince Harry came to his aid when he faced homophobia during a military exercise in Alberta.
Lance-Cpl. James Wharton, who is gay, told Britain’s Daily Mail the prince intervened after he was threatened by six soldiers from a rival British regiment.
Wharton says he fled to find Harry, who was his tank commander, and told him about the incident.
“I told him, ‘I think I’m going to be murdered by the infantry,’ Wharton told the British paper. “I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. He said, ‘Right I’m going to sort this s*** out once and for all.'”
He says Harry confronted the soldiers and then reported the incident to a senior officer.
“I could see he wasn’t holding back,” Wharton said.
The incident happened during a 2008 training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Medicine Hat, where the British army has a training unit.
Wharton, who was 21 at the time of the incident, has since left the military, but said he will never forget what the prince did for him.
“I will always be grateful to Harry and I will never forget what happened. Until he went over and dealt with everything I was on track for a battering,” Wharton said.
The incident is detailed in Wharton’s forthcoming book, Out In The Army: My Life As A Gay Soldier.
–With files from The Canadian Press
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